Purse change

A schlepper (the yiddush word to haul or carry) of sorts, I am always the lucky one with Tylenol, Purell, lipstick, 2 phones, keys, a printed iCal, gum, battery chargers, a spare pair of shoes, bottles of water, and the manual on how to use it all. As a mom of two teenage girls, I am the walking drugstore. Back in the day, women didn’t carry a large day bag or money for that matter. The neighborhood charge account was commonplace. Fast forward to modern times and you have me with my giant Celine luggage bag which includes everything plus the kitchen sink. I have recently noticed plenty of women strolling in the city streets with nothing but a teeny tiny bag. Just the idea of carrying nothing but my phone seemed very super chic. It was on a recent trip to the Bahamas where I first test-drove the mini bag trend, where I found myself feeling empty-handed and loving it.

In exclusive fashion circles, the purse evolution carries a lot of weight, no pun intended. Shape-wise the bag went from massive hobo to large envelope clutch. Then last summer, it was the reintroduction of the small pouchette and most recently the PS11 has been the hottest ticket. And now? Has the large tote gone under the radar? Maybe not. But we are harking back to the 50’s as we see the return of the ladylike dressing and the minaudière. In case you didn’t know, the precise definition of the minaudière is a women’s fashion accessory generally considered a jewelry piece, intended to substitute for an evening bag. A case with compartments, it allows storage for several items in a small space. Designers and houses such as Ports 1961, Bottega Veneta, Lanvin, Alexander McQueen, Proenza Schouler, and Valentino all showed tiny bags for Spring 2012 and even into Fall.

This spring I decided to “lighten up” and shed the excess weight. At the end of day all you really need is cash, a credit card, a tampon, lipstick, and cell phone. A day bag that used to be exclusively for evenings. Voila! It’s as simple as that.

Below are some inspiring runway and street style images for your perusal. Will you try this trend? Inquiring minds want to know.